Lemon Drizzle #FoodieReads

This post was inspired by reading The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.

After I finished reading the book, I did watch the Netflix adaptation that stars Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, and others. I made sure I finished the book before I watched since none of the characters in my head matched those actors!

On the Page

If you follow my blog at all, you'll know that murder mysteries are one of my favorite genres. This one had me chuckling outloud. It's set in Cooper's Chase, a British retirement community, where four pensioners (retirees in American parlance) are working to solve the murder of a local real estate developer. They are working with the authorities to assist in the investigation. The characters are quirky and fun. I noticed that this is the first book in a series; I will have to track down the other four books.

There are many mentions of food on the pages, including...

"It is Ian’s regular smoothie. Some raspberries, a fistful of spinach, Icelandic yogurt (Finnish, if they are out of Icelandic), spirulina, wheatgrass, acerola cherry powder, chlorella, kelp, acai extract, cocoa nibs, zinc, beetroot essence, chia seeds, mango zest, and ginger. It is his own invention, and he calls it Keep It Simple."

" I am already looking forward to a nice mint tea and an almond-flour brownie. I am not a vegan and have no intention of ever becoming one, but I still feel like it’s something that should be encouraged."

He’d messaged, she’d messaged, and before you knew it, there they were in Le Pont Noir, ordering a crayfish salad with radicchio. A whirlwind romance in the offing.

But the passage that inspired me into the kitchen...

She has also asked me to bake. I am doing a lemon drizzle, but also a coffee and walnut, because you never know. I have used almond flour because they are so good with it at Anything with a Pulse and I have been looking for an opportunity. I can tell that Ibrahim is tempted by the idea of being gluten-intolerant, and this will head him off at the pass. I wonder if I should have a nap. It is three fifteen and my cutoff point for a nap is usually three; otherwise I struggle to sleep later. But it has been a busy few days, so perhaps I have earned a bit of rule breaking.

On the Plate

I did make mine gluten-free so that my husband could enjoy the cake.

Ingredients

makes one 9" cake

Cake

• 1-1/2 cup gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 cups organic granulated sugar

• zest from 3 organic lemons and 1 organic grapefruit

• 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon butter, room temperature

• 3 eggs

• 2 Tablespoons sour cream

• 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds

• Also needed 9" round baking pan, parchment paper

Glaze

• 1-1/4 cup organic powdered sugar

• juice from 1/2 grapefruit

• juice from 1 lemon

• zest from 1 organic lemon for garnish

Procedure

Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 9" round baking pan by buttering and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a small mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl, blend the zests into the sugar. Then add the butter and cream until lightened and fluffy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the flour until just moistened. Then fold in the sour cream and poppy seeds. Pour the batter into prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool the cake completely on a wire rack. While the cake cools, make the glaze.

Glaze

Whisk all of the ingredient together until smooth. Once the cake is cooled, poke holes in the top with a tooth pick. Pour the glaze over the cake, letting it soak into the holes before adding more. Top with citrus zest before serving.

 I am adding this post to the September edition of #FoodieReads.